Preview

Tokugawa Shogunate Research Paper

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
391 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Tokugawa Shogunate Research Paper
Jonathan Mendez

Global Civilization II
Professor Michael Efthimiades
March 6, 2009
Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan’s History The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the Tokugawa bakufu, and the Edo bakufu was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city of Edo, now Tokyo. The Tokugawa shogunate ruled from Edo Castle from 1603 until 1868, when it was abolished during the Meiji Restoration. Before the Tokugawa period there were additional movements amongst these classes, but the Tokugawa Shoguns intentions were to maintain their power and privilege, which in fact restricted any other movements. There

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The strucure of the japanese fuedal system and its structure is based off of a heiracy system, the Emporer being at the top, then the shogun, then the samurais, below them are the peasents and finaly the merchants. The Emperor was at the top of the Japanese feudal system and was the person that all of the people looked up to as the supreme ruler. However, the Emperor was a figurehead and held little political power compared to the Shogun who was probably the most important person in Japanese society. Although the Shogun was below the Emperor in the feudal system, but he was the one who put in the most work and effort. The Shogun was the military leader and was in charge of making the decisions for the armies, battles, etc. The Daimyos served the Shoguns and were the next class in the Japanese feudal system. The Daimyos were powerful figures who…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Musui's Story

    • 1634 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The varying social interactions between status groups in Katsu Kokichi’s autobiography, Musui’s Story, convey a shift from the hierarchically strict Heian/Kamakura epochs to the more socially open late Tokugawa period. Throughout the work, Katsu illustrates his various dealings and communications with peasants, merchants, artisans and fellow samurai. While in theory a social hierarchy still presided, Musui’s Story dismisses the notion that social groups remained isolated from each other, as in previous Japanese eras, and instead reveals that people of Japan in the late-Tokugawa-era mingled with one another during their lives, regardless of their social status. Considering the demise of the aristocracy that inhibited so much of Heian Japan, the late Tokugawa era fostered the idea that no matter your status or class it remained possible to interact with anyone outside the imperial family. Musui’s Story served as an indicator of transition from status groups that people attain through birth, to class groups that anyone can achieve no matter their ranking upon birth. While better-positioned social groups in society still garnered additional respect, it did not mean that their position in society remained fixed and could not move up or down the social hierarchy due to their actions. Katsu’s work personifies a prime source for understanding that while status group ideals still endured, a clear rift continued forming between the ideals and the reality of Japan at the time when it came to social interactions.…

    • 1634 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    With the arrival of the Tokugawa shoguns, came a more centralized government. While the shoguns allowed the daimyo to rule their local areas, the shoguns still had complete control over the daimyo. This meant that the authority of the shogun extended from lord to peasant.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Even before the Kamakura period the Japanese warrior had begun his ascent to a higher social status. During the Heian period collateral branches of the imperial line, the Minamoto and Taira clans, represented two of the greatest warrior associations. Wars and battles that broke out during the eleventh century in the Kanto area presented the local warriors and the powerful clans with the chance to continue to build up their power (Schirokauer 181). During Kamakura period the provincial warrior class had managed to consolidate political power at the expense of the nobility. Under the Minamoto clan leader, Yorimoto, the Taira clan was defeated in the Gempei War, a bakufu or "tent government" was established – which demonstrated the military origins of his power - and the emperor named him shogun. The shogun had delegated power under the control of the emperor – which by this time was merely theoretical – and would represent an institution in Japanese politics that would last until the nineteenth century (Schirokauer 289). The shogun maintained his power through the loyalty of vassals - warriors who vowed service to a lord in exchange for military protection and land rights. This loyalty would become the characteristic ideal of the samurai warrior.…

    • 1658 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Tokugawa Shogunate started to decline in 1614, when the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu banned the practice of…

    • 860 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tokugawa Japan’s history began in the 17th century when Tokugawa Ieyasu forged documents in order to validate his claim on the title shogun and ended those who opposed his position. It is during the Tokugawa regime that foreign influences changed and evolved the political, social, and, to an extent, economic lives of the people. From the westerners, Christianity entered and the religion shaped the policies and social issues, also foreign trade affected the natural resources of Japan. On the other hand, China and Korea exerted a lot amount on Tokugawa Japan as well with Neo-Confucianism and the concept of mu’en would change the intelligentsia and aesthetics sphere. In contrast to the foreign influences that developed in the 17th century, there were also movements that came in response to challenge Neo-Confucianism such as Ancient Learning and the revival of Shintoism. With all the foreign influences in the 17th century, it brings to question of Japanese authenticity during Tokugawa Japan. With many foreign influences that helped develop Tokugawa Japan, it is crucially imperative to…

    • 1710 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bushido Code History

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages

    This period saw the rise of the samurai, samurai started to become more numerous and influential. According to Colcutt (2000), “The Kamakura regime was overthrown in 1333, replaced briefly by a restored imperial government headed by Emperor Go-Daigo, who was, in his turn, removed by the Ashikaga warrior leaders who had brought him to power” (Colcutt, 2008). It was during the Ashikaga shogunate the samurai became organized into vassal hierarchies and swore loyalty to a daimyo (feudal lords). The samurai also began to develop their own value system the Bushido code, at the time it was comprised of three virtues honor, loyalty, and courage however more virtues will be added later on. Around the fifteenth century the Ashikaga shogunate was not able to maintain control and fell into civil war until the sixteenth century, this period in Japan was known as the warring states, Sengoku Jidai (Colcutt, 2008). According to Khan Academy, “In September of 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu won a decisive victory over rival daimyo factions, including supporters of Hideyoshi’s heir, Hideyori” (“An introduction to the Samurai,” n.d.). The Ashikaga fell and the Tokugawa rose to power and move the capital to Edo (Tokyo), Japan had peace for roughly 260 years. Peace was established through social control of the entire population (“An introduction to the Samurai,” n.d.). Since this was such a…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin with the famous Samurai I’m researching is a man by the name of Tokugawa Leyasu. Tokugawa Leyasu was a famous and important samurai warrior due to the fact that he stands tall as possibly the most famous samurai of all time, and the only one of the three great unifiers of Japan (other 2 were Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi) to be crowned shogun.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Samurai's Tale

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu- A warlord who supports Oda Nobunaga. Later, he becomes shogun and rules Japan.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The country was eventually reunited within the late 1500s, and a rigid social class structure was established throughout the Edo amount that placed the samurai at the highest, followed by the farmers, artisans and merchants severally. throughout now, the samurai were forced to measure in castle cities, were the sole ones allowed to possess and carry swords and were paid in rice by their daimyo or social structure lords. uncontrolled samurai were referred to as ronin and caused minor troubles throughout the 1600s.…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Japanese Edo Period

    • 2332 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Japanese Edo period is the time between 1603 and 1868 when ancient Japan was under the leadership of Tokugawa Shogunate. The period was marked with strict social order. One of the notable strict orders during this period was the rules that guided the marriage of women. There was a marriage between the higher authorities and the one among the common members of the society. The rich and high class were known as samurai, and a clear distinction of rules regarding marriage existed between them…

    • 2332 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Geishas, Anime, Manga, J-Pop, what do they all have in common? Japanese culture. Japanese culture combines influences from Asia, Europe, and North America. In my opinion, Japanese culture is more unique than the others. They have similar interest as the United States. Geisha’s, sports, Anime, and music are the defining elements when one thinks about Japanese culture.…

    • 725 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Civil wars were common, with a full-scale war breaking out during 1467-1477 when rival heirs fought to claim the shogunate with the support of warlords.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    6. How did the political structure of the Tokugawa Shogunate influence the economic development of…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and the first shogun of the Tokunawa shogunate. He was able to seize power in Japan in 1600 after the battle of Sekigahara between Tokugawa and the other daimyos that were against him. Although Tokunawa was essentially the ruler at that time with his headquarters in Edo (present-day Tokyo), it wasn’t until 1603 that the imperial court named him shogun. Tokugawa established a national hegemony in which the daimyos were required to pay allegiance in order to continue governing their domains. Tokugawa divided feudal domains to three types of daimyos: Fudai (hereditary daimyos), Tozamo (outside daimyos), and the Shimpan (collateral daimyos directly related to Tokugawa family). Tokugawa was able to look over the daimyos through the alternate attendance system. The way this worked was that all daimyos were obliged to spend time each year to attend at the Shogun’s court in Edo. Tokugawa was very cautious of the daimyos and liked to keep an eye on…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays